Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1887-09-17
CONCERNING GOLD LEAF,
Methods of Manufacture Usually Employed
in The Enite,l States

in t,Ie United States.
The extreme Malleahilitv of gold has
made it a prominent metal in the use
full as well as the iine arts. 1t has been
calculated that from $1,000 900 to Sl,-
600, 900 worth of this precious metal is
annually used on ornaments, in gild-
ing, in lettering, edging Of books, in
signs, ornamental paintings and in
dentistry. Of course, the greater pro-
| portion of this is for the frst-namcd
purpose, although there appears to be
great amount used in the other indus
tries. A comparatively small amount,
| however, is necessary to cover II great
| deal of space. 4 cubic inch can be
hammered so rs to cover space Of
thirty-ive feet wide and one hundred
feet long, and twenty of our twenty
dollar gold pieces can be drawn into Il
wire that would reach around the
globe.
The gold-lcaf beaters' art is one Of
the most surprising when the result is
considered. The minute films are so
thin as hardly to retard the light, and
yet possess all the brilliancy of color
of the solid block Of gold of about
twenty-five carats. 1t is first cast into
n bar eight inches long, one inch wide
and one-half inch thick, the weight
being about thirty-iivc ounces. and
rolled out until it is about as thick as
your finger nail; the "ribbons,n as it
iscalled, are now weighed into pack
ages or "bcatingsn of . ounces each.
The beatingS are what the men first
start TO work on. 4 man will cut one
of them (of y omces) into $50 pieces,
making the pieces about an inch
square. He next puts them into a
, "kutch," which is made of prepared
, paper the size being y inches square.
! He lays these lS0 pieces of gold be-
: tween these papers, first Il pa
per, then piece of gold, and
! beats on the "kutch" with al
iron hammer weighing about eighteer
l pounds, until the gold is the sizc
: of the "kutch.' These pieces are Gu
r into quarters and filled into "shoder,
c which is made of gold-beater's skin, tn,
+, size being four inches square, and hold
!, ing all the pieces, numbering 40, Thu
a gold-beater'S skin is made from a prep
n araton of large portion Of the larg
y, intestine> of an OK, and the prepare,
: paper is, or may he, parchment mad
\ from calf skin, rendered clear anr
4 white by u peculiar operation tha
, gives it the appearance of writing pa
{ per, for which purpose it is used t.
some extent. The pieces are thci
. beaten out in the "Shodcr,o with ,
II hammer weighing about thrteei
/ pounds making them all four inche
j, square. These pieces. or "shod"
: leaves" Gas they are now called, ar
q cut into quarters, making them tw
6 inches square, and in all 2.SS0 piece
= or quarters of "shoder-lcaycS.n y Thes
: are filled into three moldS. Each mol
+ is made Of the same material as tn
t "shoder.' The molds are five inche
square and hold nine hundred pieces o
G quarters of "Shoder' each.
f The molds are then beaten out sepa
: rately with It hammer weighing abou
II eight pounds until the gold is yer
A nearly square with the edge of tn
4 molds. They are then sent to girls 70
1 booking. Each girl will take mol
G full of gold, taking each leaf out sepa
c ratcly and trimming the edges of tn
: leaf off, making them 2! inches square
Il and as the leaves are cut they are pu
i into a paper book holding twenty-fy
G leaves The gold is now ready 70
+ sale. AmcricaH lliOod Worker.